From a Whiteboard to a System of Systems: Executing Across a Network of Moving Parts
“We can’t impose our will on a system. We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone.” — Donella Meadows, Project Overview A former boss entrusted me […]
The Plan That Keeps Paying Back
“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” — Kakuzo Okakura, ——————— When Alejandra and I developed the baseline for our annual backpacking trip back in 2019, we did so with a deliberate project management mindset. We were conscious that this wasn’t a one-off event; it was a repeatable process. […]
Strategic Roadmap for Complex Modernization
“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” — Michael Porter Project Overview A major federal entity needed a long-range strategy to modernize critical aircraft systems through a phased investment approach. The project produced a six-year roadmap covering five aircraft systems, defining future enhancements, outlining funding needs, and sequencing upgrade options […]
The Trip Was Won in the Planning: A Backpacking Case Study
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” — Sir Edmund Hillary Project Overview In the summer of 2019, Alejandra and I embarked on a six-day backpacking journey to honor the memory of Diego, my son and her beloved brother, on the first anniversary of his passing. As mother and daughter, we approached […]
Systems Thinking at Play: From Spaghetti & Meatballs to Bridge&Map™
“Everything you know, and everything everyone knows, is only a model. Get your model out there where it can be viewed. Invite others to challenge your assumptions and add their own.” — Donella Meadows Project Overview For years, I approached project management the way many experienced managers do: utilizing a vast toolkit of templates, […]
Beyond Firefighting: How We Use Data to Catch Project Glitches Early
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” — Sherlock Holmes (created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) As program managers, we’ve all been there: staring at a project that’s veering off track, trying to figure […]
Operating at the Limits: Deconstructing the “Reckless” Illusion
“There is no adrenaline rush. If I get an adrenaline rush, it means that something has gone horribly wrong.” —Alex Honnold Most people look at a sheer rock face and see an impossible hazard; Alex Honnold looks at it and sees a problem to be solved A View of the Possible Since I was […]
Newton’s Third Law Meets Empathy and Compassion: The Seattle/King County Clinic and the Power of Human Connection
“To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction.” Isaac Newton For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction In physics, Newton’s Third Law tells us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In human terms, we witness this truth not just in mechanics but in our communities, […]
Finding the Path: How Strategy Becomes Impact
THE PATH FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING Like walking together through a dense forest, strategic initiatives require attention, collaboration, and adaptability, navigating complexity, assessing risks, uncovering opportunities, and moving towards a shared destination. Strategic planning is often seen as setting long-term goals, prioritizing actions, and creating a roadmap to guide decisions and allocate resources, but it can […]
Thinking Under Pressure
Our most valuable approaches when thinking strategically under pressure are a systems-thinking lens and a deliberate, disciplined practice of critical thinking. They enable us to ascend to 35,000 feet, filtering out distractions, to pinpoint ground-level issues. Amid pressure, it’s vital to step back, assess, and dissect the situation, fostering calmness to devise optimal solutions. Chaos, […]